J D Power And Associates

One of four people shopping for a used car went to the Internet for help, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study released Monday. The nearly 10,000 used-car buyers polled by the Agoura Hills firm said they most frequently visited the Kelley Blue Book Web site to find pricing and other general information; they also hit the sites of Consumer Reports, Autobytel.com, Edmund's Online and Microsoft Corp.'s CarPoint.

The auto industry is producing more reliable vehicles. That's the finding of a J.D. Power and Associates dependability study examining problems experienced during the last 12 months by owners of 2008 model-year vehicles. The study, released Thursday, found there were an average of 151 problems per 100 of the 3-year-old vehicles during the time period surveyed. That was the lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990 and an improvement from the 155 problems per 100 vehicles that owners of 2007 models reported in last year's study, J.D. Power said.

First it was reliability. Now it is basic looks and appeal. For the first time since 1997, domestic auto brands have collectively surpassed imports in vehicle appeal, said J.D. Power and Associates, the Westlake Village auto research company. Fancy luxury autos from overseas still have an edge, but among mass-market vehicles, the domestic automakers are the top dogs, the research firm said Thursday in its annual Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout, or APEAL, study.

First it was reliability. Now it is basic looks and appeal. For the first time since 1997, domestic auto brands have collectively surpassed imports in vehicle appeal, said J.D. Power and Associates, the Westlake Village auto research company. Fancy luxury autos from overseas still have an edge, but among mass-market vehicles, the domestic automakers are the top dogs, the research firm said Thursday in its annual Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout, or APEAL, study.

The auto industry is producing more reliable vehicles. That's the finding of a J.D. Power and Associates dependability study examining problems experienced during the last 12 months by owners of 2008 model-year vehicles. The study, released Thursday, found there were an average of 151 problems per 100 of the 3-year-old vehicles during the time period surveyed. That was the lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990 and an improvement from the 155 problems per 100 vehicles that owners of 2007 models reported in last year's study, J.D. Power said.

J.D. Power and Associates of Agoura Hills said it acquired Dallas-based Baker & Co., a business and marketing consultant in the automotive and telecommunications industries. The firm will be operated as a wholly owned division of J.D. Power. J.D. Power and Associates is a privately held marketing information services firm best known for its customer satisfaction surveys for new cars.

Karen RePass has been hired as account executive at the Wiley & Associates advertising firm in Westlake Village. Before joining Wiley, RePass worked for J.D. Power and Associates, where her clients included General Motors, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., Conde Nast Publications and NBC.

Regarding Bill Plaschke's article on lines at Dodger Stadium [Aug. 3], I feel that it is important for The Times and Dodger fans to be informed of the Dodger organization's efforts regarding customer service and fan experience/satisfaction. J.D. Power and Associates began working with the Dodgers to collect fan input in 1997. Data collected so far this season (through June 23) actually show fan satisfaction scores improving against the last three seasons in virtually all areas of Dodger fan in-stadium experience.

Airport ratings: An article in Sunday's Section A about the Disney Institute's program to help businesses improve service said Miami International Airport received the lowest customer satisfaction rating in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates analysis of 61 airports in North America. In fact, 16 other airports in the large-airport category scored in "the rest," the lowest of four assessment levels. The three higher ratings are "among the best," "better than most" and "about average."

Airport ratings: A Jan. 20 article in Section A about the Disney Institute's program to help businesses improve service said Miami International Airport received the lowest customer satisfaction rating in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates analysis of 61 airports in North America. In fact, 16 other airports in the large-airport category scored in "the rest," the lowest of four assessment levels. The three higher ratings are "among the best," "better than most" and "about average."

One of four people shopping for a used car went to the Internet for help, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study released Monday. The nearly 10,000 used-car buyers polled by the Agoura Hills firm said they most frequently visited the Kelley Blue Book Web site to find pricing and other general information; they also hit the sites of Consumer Reports, Autobytel.com, Edmund's Online and Microsoft Corp.'s CarPoint.

Porsche and other high-end auto brands performed best in the annual J.D. Power and Associates study of satisfaction after 90 days of ownership, but domestic companies showed improvement, according to results released Wednesday. The German automaker topped Power's 11th annual survey that measures performance, interior layout and customer satisfaction with cars three months after they were driven off the dealers' lot. Ford Motor Co.'

Survey Finds Business Fliers Like Northwest, Alaska Air: Frequent business travelers gave high marks to Northwest Airlines for flights of more than 1,000 miles and Alaska Airlines for shorter trips, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. American and United Airlines received below-average marks for both short and long domestic flights on such criteria as quality of food, baggage procedures and seating, the report said.